


Edward and the Whale

by goth_on_ham



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Angst, Bisexuality, Choking, Future Fic, Homophobia, M/M, Unhealthy Relationships, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2017-10-08
Packaged: 2019-01-10 19:08:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12305766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goth_on_ham/pseuds/goth_on_ham
Summary: After a year in Arkham, Ed is 'reformed'. But he is itching for excitement and plans to rob the Natural History Museum a daring daylight robbery. However, his plans change when he sees a young man who is the spitting image of Kristen Kringle.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Jonah is a name often associated with someone who brings bad luck, it also comes from the Hebrew name 'Yonah', meaning dove. Doves symbolise peace and love. I thought it was a suitably ambiguous name for Kristen's lookalike.

Gotham’s Natural History Museum had remained mostly untouched by the city's notorious criminal underbelly. There had been the occasional robbery, but nothing truly shocking. No grand heists or daring daylight takeovers.

Edward Nygma, or rather the Riddler, planned to change that.

He hadn't decided on his course of action yet, and technically, he was 'reformed’, but it was just too tempting. He felt it in his bones. He had to rob this place, he had to leave a riddle behind, he had to return to his old ways and leave the GCPD confounded and infuriated at his brilliant return to the world of crime.

As he walked past the visiting exhibit on parasites, and around the permanent display of stuffed Felidae, moving towards the dinosaurs, he became frustrated. Surely there was something in this place worthy of his attention.

Then he found it.

Or rather, him.

He came to a sudden stop, and he felt as though his heart was caught in his throat. All of the rare artefacts around him faded away. They seemed inconsequential compared to the young man standing in front of him.

He had black hair, slightly wavy and tucked behind his ears, but besides that, and the fact he was a male, he was the exact image of Kristen.

He seemed to feel Ed staring at him, and turned to face him with an inquisitive, but not unfriendly, expression.

“Can I help you, sir?”

Even his voice, although a touch deeper, was not unlike hers had been.

He was wearing a lanyard around his neck. It told Ed that his name was Jonah and he was the assistant curator. Ed managed to catch his breath enough to speak.

“Yes. Uh. Could you…” His mind seemed to stick at what to say. He felt awkward again, vulnerable, and he had thought he had finally banished that part of him after taking up his infamous monicker and reinventing himself. Apparently not.

“Hmm?” Jonah smiled at him, and it hurt.

It hurt because it looked so like hers had. Isabella had been a miracle, a second chance. How was another one possible?

He even wore the same type of glasses.

“Could you…” He repeated, palms sweating and heart pounding, “Could you tell me where the bathrooms are on this floor?”

Jonah blinked. Then looked disappointed. Ed tried and failed not to let that wound him. He was reminded of when he would try to impress Kristen, and it would fall flat. “They’re just over there. On your left.”

Ed stammered out a thank you and ran to them. Embarrassingly, they were in plain view from where the two of them had been standing. He must have looked like a complete idiot for asking. But it didn't matter. He would never see him again.

The robbery was off. He would find somewhere else.

He unlatched the narrow window in the bathroom and pushed it open as far as it would go. Then, he climbed up onto the sink and slid out of it. For one terrifying moment, he thought he might get stuck, but thankfully fate was not so cruel to him. He landed somewhat clumsily on the grass outside, and made his way back to his apartment.

\--

The earliest memory Ed had was of his father telling him to go bug his mother. So he did, and he remembered getting a not too gentle pat on the seat of his pants and then told to go bother his father.

They never made much of a secret of the fact they hadn't wanted him. Even if he hadn't heard them arguing about it, he would have been able to tell.

Ed had thought he would be able to make them proud one day, and then things would change. It didn't.

When he won a certificate for his science project in the fourth grade (that he had gotten despite the other children having parents to help them with their projects), his father hadn't even looked at it. He crushed an empty can of beer in his large, meaty hand and asked Ed when he was going to bring a girl home.

Ed hadn't noticed girls much. He was only ten. He didn't know what to say. His father took his uncertainty to mean something else, and scoffed, then lay back down on the couch. He called him a word that Ed didn't understand the meaning of yet, but he was sure it was bad.

When he was fourteen, he did start to notice girls. They didn't much like him, but he was fairly sure that the fact he liked them meant he wasn't what his father suspected him to be.

True, some boys caught his eye too, but as long as he liked girls, that was the important thing. He was fairly certain that everyone liked both, at least a little bit. So it didn't mean anything if he thought Michael had a nice smile, or if he sometimes daydreamed about Mr Hernandez telling him he was his favourite student while running his fingers through his hair.

It didn't make him weird.

He told himself that. Sometimes, he believed it.

When he met Kristen, he stopped thinking about men, and women for that matter. All he thought about was her. It made him feel normal. He was no longer in contact with his parents, but if he had been, he would have shown her to them. She was proof of his normalcy. Proof he had outgrown any hormonal yearnings for affection from someone, anyone, regardless of gender.

Sure, when Detective Gordon squeezed his shoulder and said he had done a good job, his heart beat a little faster, but that was insignificant.

He convinced himself that what he later felt for Oswald was insignificant too. Nothing more than friendship. He told himself this even when he was conjuring up drug fuelled images of the other man singing love songs to him, his jaw slack and his head tilting back, slowly, suggestively, taunting Ed and daring him to try to squeeze his exposed throat, or better yet… Kiss it.

If Oswald had truly been in front of him then, he might have. He might have pinned him to the wall and coloured his pale neck pink and purple with his lips and his teeth. He might have done more than that. He might have grabbed him and spun him round, so he faced the wall, and tore off his clothes so he could get at him. So he could take him.

But Oswald hadn't been there, so he remained in denial of what he wanted to do to him. He told himself he had only loved Kristen, then Isabella, and that everything else he had felt for others was unimportant.

He had only had sex with two women in his life. So surely, that meant he was heterosexual. He daren’t ask anyone to confirm this, in case they disagreed with him, or in case they were disgusted or amused by him, but he decided that was the case.

He remained believing this until he saw Jonah.

Jonah who was bore an unsettling likeness to Kristen, yet was unmistakably masculine. Not in an overpowering, gruff sort of way like Jim was, or worse, Daughtery, but nonetheless it was there.

It didn't diminish his attraction to him. Like Isabella, his existence scared him, but he wanted him.

He told himself a third Kristen was too much. It was too suspicious. If Isabella was a second chance then perhaps Jonah was a bad omen and the universe was trying to punish him, rather than redeem him.

He should go with his gut and stay away.

Not only because he was a man and Ed had already decided he was not that way inclined, but because he was like Kristen, and that was unsettling. It was trouble. With a capital T.

He would not see Jonah again.

\--

Ed woke up the next morning fully dressed despite having gone to bed in his pyjamas. Since he had been the victim of blackouts before, he suspected that was what it was. His other self, which had been in what he had hoped was permanent hibernation, had done something.

Given what had occupied his mind the previous night, he feared he knew what that was.

He picked up his phone and scrolled through the contacts for confirmation. He soon found it. A new number was added, under J.

Jonah.

Laughter mocked him from the other side of his bedroom. When Ed looked up, he was gone but he heard him whisper something in his ear before his other self went back to sleep.

“We have a date tonight. Six o’clock. His place. The address is in our coat pocket. Have fun.”

More laughter, then silence.

A short while later, as Ed was brushing his teeth in the bathroom, he caught sight of what he thought was a smudge on his neck. He frowned, and pulled his collar away to get a better look at it in the mirror.

He gasped when he realised what it was. It was a love bite.


	2. Chapter 2

“You came.” Jonah looked pleased to see him. Very pleased. His smile could be seen in his eyes as well as on his lips, and he stepped aside politely to welcome Ed into his home.

He was wearing a black turtleneck, and contacts instead of his glasses. He smelled fresh, light, and his hair was slightly wet. He must have just gotten out of the shower.

Ed returned his smile but he could tell his was much tighter, and more nervous. “Of course I did.”

“I was worried I scared you off.”

“Oh.” Ed thought back to his escape through the bathroom window. “No. No, I am glad to see you again.”

Jonah moved close to him all at once, and before Ed could move back to preserve his personal space, a hand was on his chest. It slid up towards his shoulder, where it squeezed. Ed swallowed hard and he looked at Jonah with surprise at how forward he was being, how quickly things were moving. Things had moved faster with Isabella than with Kristen, but this was even faster than that. Jonah chuckled, a sound that was equal parts mischievous and charming. 

“You weren't so shy last time.” He remarked fondly.

Ed didn't know what he meant at first, and he only thought of what his words could mean when Jonah rose up on his tiptoes and started to kiss him. Soft, lingering kisses… Within moments he was parting Ed’s lips with his own and their tongues met. Jonah moaned, and the sound was far more wanton than any Ed ever remembered coming from Kristen or even Isabella.

He supposed his other self must have done things with Jonah to secure the date. He couldn't remember what they were, but he had to have gotten the hickey on his neck somehow. He couldn't help but feel a bit cheated that he hadn't really been himself when he kissed him for the first time. If the second time was anything to go by, Ed was sure it had been fantastic.

He placed his hands on Jonah's waist and his body was firmer than he was used to. He felt very different from Kristen, from Isabella, but it wasn't a bad difference. 

Truthfully, any thoughts that he was making a mistake by seeing their lookalike again were clouded over and easily ignored thanks to lust. 

He pulled away from Jonah's lips for just a moment and the shorter man whined impatiently. He seemed to be more demanding than the previous two. That was okay though.

“Can I…?” He ran his thumb over Jonah's jaw, which was a little rough with stubble, and over the small section of smoother skin on his neck that wasn't covered up by the black turtleneck. Jonah caught onto his meaning and nodded. Ed rolled the fabric down and saw that the skin underneath was covered in marks. Red and blue and purple and pink. He couldn't remember making any of them.

Jonah caught his surprise and massaged his hands over his shoulders soothingly. “It's alright, Edward. I like it when you hurt me.”

His voice was gentle and for a moment Ed could make himself believe it was Kristen saying those words to him. Giving him permission. Saying it was okay. 

All of it. 

“Are you…” He could barely speak. The words came out slow and dry and his mind was spinning. “Are you sure it’s okay?”

Jonah nodded.

That was all the permission Ed needed. He let himself go. He wrapped his hand around Jonah's throat and added more bruises to the yielding flesh.

By the time they reached the bedroom, Ed was convinced he had fallen in love.

\--

One week later, Victor Zsasz was delivering a small stack of photographs to Oswald's office.

“His name is Jonah, boss. Apparently he’s the one who has been taking up all of Nygma’s time recently.”

Victor threw down the collection of photos his people had taken of the young man in question. Oswald picked one up and stared at it incredulously for a few long moments. 

“Impossible.” He whispered.

“I don’t know, he’s not a bad looking guy.” 

“That's not what I mean, Victor.” Oswald snapped, and he put the photograph back down on his desk with a louder than necessary thud. “This boy looks exactly like Isabelle did, and Isabelle looked exactly like Kringle.”

Victor tilted his head to the side slightly, then shrugged. “I guess that is kind of weird.”

“Kind of?” Oswald scoffed and waved the assassin away. “That will be all Victor. I need to think things over.”

When Victor had left, Oswald picked up the picture again and stared at it. Then once more he slammed it down on his desk. He cursed beneath his breath. 

He was annoyed at himself for caring what Ed did with his time at all, but he couldn't help it. He told himself it was just keeping tabs on one of his more intelligent enemies, but he knew that his enduring curiosity about his activities was more than that.

When Ed had been sent to Arkham, he had bribed the Head of Psychiatry to keep him informed on Ed's treatment and progress. He didn't interfere directly, but once he did express his displeasure that Ed was being kept in a wing that he knew from experience was particularly ill furnished and draughty. Ed was moved to a slightly nicer room the next day.

Once Ed was released, his surveillance continued. He didn't think for even a moment that he had truly reformed. He wasn't sure what his plans would be, but he was certain they would be dramatic and ridiculous. He told himself he had a duty to keep an eye on him in case these mad plans would impact him in any way.

After all, they had never really made peace. They stayed out of each other's way, but that wasn't the same as an apology and a handshake.

Oswald doubted they would ever do that. Sometimes, he toyed with the idea of attempting to meet with him and talk things over until they could call themselves friends once more. His heart tugged anxiously in his chest whenever he considered it. He still hadn't found the courage to go through with it.

Oswald had a strong feeling that this 'Jonah’ was bad news. 

His own feelings for Ed, whatever they were, were irrelevant. They didn't factor into things nor did they impair his judgment. Anyone could see that Ed becoming involved with a second dead ringer of Kringle spoke badly of his mental health. 

That his judgement could be so impaired that he would honestly go through with another relationship with someone like that was baffling to Oswald. In some ways, Ed was one of the most brilliant people he had known. In others, he was a complete fool.

He needed saving from himself. 

Oswald supposed he was the only one who could do that. 

Ed wouldn't thank him for it. He hadn't last time. However, unlike last time, he would leave the bimbo alive. At least… He would until Ed had said his final goodbyes to him.

He wasn't doing this for himself. He was doing it for an old friend. 

He expected nothing in return, except maybe that Ed would return to his senses after Kringle the Third was out of the picture.

It was a favour, whether Ed wanted it or not.

\--

Ed was happier than he had been for a long time. The last time he remembered feeling like this had been with Isabella. Never since then had he felt so whole. 

So normal.

His attraction to men no longer bothered him, because how could it when it had allowed him to love someone as wonderful as Jonah? 

All other men, all other women, they didn't interest him in the slightest anymore. All he cared about was Jonah.

Jonah only cared for him too. He had told him on their second night together how he had read about his crimes in the papers, and they excited him. He said he’d been ashamed of that at first, but Ed assured him there was no need to be ashamed. He liked to be appreciated.

“The men I’ve been with before, they’ve all been scared of hurting me. But not you, Ed. When you wrap your hands around my throat, it always feels like you might actually kill me.” 

Ed had to admit Jonah sometimes said things that unnerved him. Just a little.

He tried to ignore the unease and kissed him on the cheek. “I would never-”

Jonah shushed him and moved back a little. He wagged one slender finger at Ed disapprovingly. “Don't spoil the mood.”

Ed tried to smile.

“Of course not. I apologise.”

Jonah pulled him into a hug as he slipped onto Ed’s lap. He wrapped his legs around his waist and rested his chin on his shoulder. After a brief period of quiet, he whispered into Ed's ear.

“What three words can be said too much, but are also never said enough?”

Ed knew the answer immediately.

“I love you.”

Jonah kissed him, and pulled Ed’s hands up to his throat.


End file.
